A Boston College sports blog capturing the highs and lows of being a BC fan living 1,000 miles from Chestnut Hill.

Tuesday, June 17, 2014

Bates is right and wrong

Brad Bates issued another "letter" from the AD desk, this time regarding the game day experience. I applaud him for the series and reaching out to share his thoughts. I also appreciate the renovations in Alumni. However, I think he and many of his fellow sports leaders are missing the boat on the competition for the game day experience. Watching the game is better at home and it is cheaper. That will never be the competition. That is people's default. But better replay and easier parking, or even cheaper tickets are not the answer to getting people to the game. Getting people to the game is about experiences you cannot get at home.

That is why the band is important. That is why tailgating is critical. That is why having traditions like the Eagle or getting your picture with Baldwin makes a difference. Running on the field after the game is something you cannot do if you stay home. Social media is great but nothing beats the communal experience of watching a tense game with thousands of like-minded people. If you want people to pay extra and make the effort, remind them of what is unique about seeing a game live. Replays and parking and even food need to be good. The stuff you cannot duplicate at home needs to be great. Then people will come. Then they will feel they are part of something.

It would be nice if we could capture more of the Greater Boston fans who simply enjoy major college football to augment the hardcore BC fans.

Winning and highly competitive teams will cause people to take notice, of course. But the game-day experience is the key.

As a hard core fan, I love the band and Eagle Walk, etc. - that is it for me. But the parking, shuttling, tailgating, communal celebration - these are things that must always be examined and constantly improved upon.

Well said - yes, we want replays and the things we get at home but to get people out to the game it is the sense of an event that is important. You are very right that the tailgating and game experience is what needs to be made special. Of course, a winning team would help!

one big thing thats missing is getting to the games. I have plenty of friends that have become too lazy or cheap to take the train or pay for a cab or uber and then find it impossible to get this home.

One thing that would work is a shuttle from certain locations in our out of the city. Pairing with a bar or restaurant could help both sides, getting people into the bar/rest early and enjoying a couple libations (and making them money they normally wouldnt) while giving parking or a close location for those in the city, and a cheap shuttle to get them to and from the game easily. that'd be something worth discussing.